The striking rise in plastic surgery – and the celebrities that are driving the trend

In 2019, it’s hard not to have heard of American rapper Cardi B. Just a few of her successes include being the first solo female rapper to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in almost 20 years, and took home a total of five Grammy Awards in 2019. It was no surprise when the rapper was named one of the most influential people in the game by Time magazine, but what she is perhaps most well-known for is her upfront, honest attitude to plastic surgery and the various procedures she has undergone to create the enhanced look she is known for.

With the rising popularity of plastic surgery procedures being undertaken by ever younger patients, many question the amount of ‘influence’ celebrities like Cardi B have on young, and potentially impressionable, people. And whilst aesthetic and beauty trends drop in and out of fashion fairly regularly, there’s no denying the recent surge in interest in plastic augmentations and enhancements, as well as the huge variety of ‘new’ surgeries which have come into vogue, mainly due to celebrity endorsements.

Cardi B has been quoted in the media as saying she will never getting plastic surgery ever again. Image credit: kathclick/Bigstock.com

Some argue that, as long as the procedures in question are safe and a realistic portrayal of what it looks like to invest in plastic surgery, then there is no harm done. But Cardi B made headlines again this week when her numerous plastic procedures interrupted her working schedule. Several performances were suddenly cancelled, an unusual occurrence for the artist – most recently, she has pulled out of performing at Parklife festival in the UK. It was revealed that Cardi B’s unexpected time off followed a need to recover from her latest cosmetic surgery (one of which included a breast augmentation), with doctors agreeing that she had gone back to work too quickly after the procedures. So is she really setting the right example for young people seeking to make changes to their own appearance?

Health sources vary in opinion as to how long recovery can take for a procedure like a breast augmentation, as surgeons should really evaluate all elements on a case by case basis. For
example, what type of implant was used, what size it is, and where the incision is made.

Some personal account state two weeks as the ideal amount of time for recovery, as in the period directly following their surgery they have difficulty carrying items and require constant ice packs to soothe their pain. Depending on the level of health of each patient, this minimum time for recovery will fluctuate, but doctors recommend at least one week off work and off your feet in all cases, to ensure good recovery but also to avoid longer term health issues that could be created from ignoring the pain of recovery.

Doctors worldwide used this opportunity to educate the masses on how important it is to take any cosmetic procedure just as seriously as a medical one – and how long Cardi B should have waited before returning to work. A whole host of young celebrities are similarly trivialising cosmetic enhancements, perhaps the most poignant being Kylie Jenner, infamous for her plump pout which she claimed was a result of her makeup line for years, who has now admitted she went too far with her lip fillers.

Kylie Jenner has admitted she went too far with her lip fillers. Image credit: kathclick/Bigstock.com

But this Kardashian-Jenner effect isn’t just prevalent for smaller procedures. The reality-royalty Kardashian-Jenner family, and celebrities like Nikki Minaj, Mariah Carey, and Cardi B, have brought an almost unrealistic hourglass figure for women’s bodies back into the limelight. Women are going to extreme lengths to achieve the same sharp contrast between the narrowest of waists and rounded hips, no longer shying away from potentially risky procedures such as the Brazilian Bum Lift and Liposuction.

Cardi B opened up on her social media channels – she has 45.6 million followers on Instagram alone – about her experience with liposuction. As with any surgery, liposuction recovery differs from person to person, but most reports online point to a generally speedy recovery. Some patients claim to have only needed two days to get back to normal, and even less time using pain medication.

In the busy, ‘hustle’ culture of today’s society, it’s easy to see well-known people bouncing back after surgery and to then expect the same thing for yourself, but it just might not be the case. With more and more young people undergoing the knife, must we start questioning the transparency of people in the spotlight on their own cosmetic procedures? It goes without saying that anyone considering surgery should pay as much attention to their own doctor as they do to their ‘idols’, ensuring personal health always comes first.